The Gatorade bath sincerely surprised Brian Kelly, distracted by Robby Toma until a few chilly gallons of hydration poured down on the Irish head coach’s head in celebration of an undefeated home schedule. In Notre Dame’s 38-0 victory, a game that was all but decided by the game’s tenth minute, the Irish celebrated the team’s eleventh straight victory, and took care of business quick enough to spend the rest of the afternoon honoring a senior class that did a miraculous job turning around this program.

Let’s run through a few of the questions we had before getting to the five things we learned.

Can Notre Dame control their emotions?

The Irish sure did, even after a very emotional pregame ceremony that honored the team’s 29 seniors.

“It went very well for us. I think our seniors really understood the difference between enthusiasm and emotion,” Kelly said after the game to NBC’s Alex Flanagan. “They played with great enthusiasm. They had fun. This is the way you should play college football.”

It was a day long tribute to Manti Te’o and company, with Tyler Eifert also getting the chance to break Ken MacAfee’s career catch record for Irish touchdowns.

How dominant will Notre Dame’s defensive front be?

It was plenty dominant as the Irish shut out Wake Forest, holding the Demon Deacons to just 209 yards, with many coming after the starters were out of the game. Louis Nix tied for the team lead in tackles with seven, while Stephon Tuitt got his 12th sack of the season. Sheldon Day also had five tackles and Kapron Lewis-Moore played a strong game chipping in three tackles, one TFL, a pass break-up and a QB hurry. With just 55 rushing yards for Wake Forest, the Deacs were one dimensional from the start.

Will the Irish offense do more than just enough?

That’s an understatement. Everett Golson had a first half that almost etched itself in the school record books, throwing for 317 yards and three touchdowns before coming out of the game early. Notre Dame racked up 430 yards of total offense in the game’s first 30 minutes, making big plays from the start.

How will the Irish look without DaVaris Daniels at wide receiver?

The Irish didn’t miss a beat without Daniels, with TJ Jones playing one of his finest games in a Notre Dame uniform and John Goodman making a terrific play on a 50-yard touchdown catch. That’s Goodman’s third touchdown in five catches on the season, all three deep strikes from Golson rolling right. Daniel Smith chipped in a first down grab as well.

Can the Irish dominate on the ground?

Check that box as well, with Notre Dame running for 221 yards on 30 carries. Cierre Wood had his best game of the season, running for 150 yards on just 11 carries, including a 68-yard touchdown run on the game’s first drive. It set the tone for the afternoon and jump started the offense. No other Irish back averaged even five yards a carry outside of Wood’s 13.6, with Theo Riddick picking up just 20 yards on six carries, but doing damage in the pas game.

How will the Irish secondary handle Michael Campanaro?

The secondary did exactly what they’ve done all year. Make tackles after giving up the underneath routes. Campanaro led the Deacs with six catches, but his longest catch was 16 yards and he was held to just 47 yards total. Tanner Price completed 22 of 33 passes, but only gained 153 yards on them, playing right into the Irish secondary’s hands.

Spring hero? Tough to find a bigger one than C.J. Prosise. With numbers low in the backfield this spring, Notre Dame’s emerging slot receiver transitioned to running back—and immediately became an X factor in 2015.

For most of Romeo Okwara’s college career, the defender’s young age was mentioned when discussing the intriguing athlete’s upside. With ideal length, more than adequate athleticism and a skill set that fit in both Bob Diaco and Brian VanGorder’s defense, it was always a wait-and-see proposition for the North Carolina native, who simply needed a few years in Paul Longo’s weight room to catch up to his age.

We wrap up our offseason look at Notre Dame’s 2015 opponents with the Stanford Cardinal. The postseason could come down to a late-season showdown in Palo Alto with David Shaw’s team trying to rebound from a five-loss season.

After a redshirt season, Quenton Nelson is ready to play. Jumping to the head of the line at a crowded (and talented) position, Nelson is taking his five-star pedigree and bringing it to the starting lineup.

This spring, you’d have probably won some money if you had Sam Mustipher emerging as the No. 2 center. But with Matt Hegarty’s departure and some failed experiments before him, it was Mustipher who was backing up Nick Martin and snapping the ball to Everett Golson in a spring game played on Notre Dame’s practice field.

Notre Dame opens the season ranked No. 11 in the preseason USA Today Amway Coaches Poll. The Irish, who finished last season 8-5, return the majority of their starting lineup, providing some context for the bullish expectations. Only Gus Malzahn’s Auburn team is ranked higher among teams that finished with five losses in 2014.

Last year, we saw what a talented freshman linebacker in over his head looked like. His name was Nyles Morgan, and the blue-chip recruit personified the second-half defensive collapse that flushed the Irish season down the drain. Want the good part? Stick around, as Irish A-to-Z continues.

When Brian Kelly plucked offensive lineman John Montelus from his hometown of Everett, Massachusetts, the Irish looked to be adding another mauler to the interior of Harry Hiestand’s offensive line. And after two seasons of reshaping his body and learning the ropes, Montelus is in a competitive two-deep, still looking for a role in this offense.

It didn’t take long for Notre Dame’s coaching staff to know they wanted to offer Peter Mokwuah. After getting a glimpse of the big-bodied defensive tackle, Brian VanGorder and Brian Kelly went to Staten Island and left with a key piece to the depth chart.

We are a little more than a week away from the start of the 2015 football season. Notre Dame released their training camp schedule on Wednesday, highlighting the key dates leading up to the season opener against Texas.

Entering his third year in the program, offensive lineman Colin McGovern hasn’t found his way into the lineup. That’s the product of a depth chart filled with other talented options, as well as McGovern dealing with injuries and position switches as he looks to find his niche.

Last preseason, Mike McGlinchey was the odd-man out along the offensive line, losing out on the opportunity to be the team’s starting right tackle. Entering 2015, he’s one of the key X factors that’ll determine whether or not Harry Hiestand’s offensive line is one of the best in the country.

With Notre Dame’s defense falling apart, second-year player Jacob Matuska was thrown into the fire, earning playing time after the first (and most of the second) line of defense went down. Let’s check on the rising junior as Irish A-to-Z rolls on.

The first recruit to join the 2014 recruiting class, Greer Martini may have been envisioned as a 3-4 linebacker in Bob Diaco’s scheme, but he very quickly showed he could play anywhere the rebooted Irish defense needed him. Irish A-to-Z keeps on keepin’ on.

While discussing Notre Dame’s “rivals” usually turns into some type of screaming hot-take opportunity, it’s undeniable that the Irish’s date with Boston College in Fenway Park is a wonderful place to renew a “rivalry” that’s gotten a lot less regular.

In his first season without his brother on campus, Nick Martin looked to make a name for himself. But 2014 was a battle for Martin, not just to escape the shadows of his All-Pro brother, but to regain his health after a lingering knee injury and a multitude of other ailments made the entire season a grind.

Ready or not, Cole Luke was thrown into the deep end in 2014, forced into a starting role after KeiVarae Russell’s August suspension. Paired with Cody Riggs as the team’s field cornerback, Luke more than held his own as a sophomore starter, taking on one of the most challenging schedules in college football, with elite receivers testing the Irish secondary nearly every week.

Looking for a sledgehammer in an offense that sometimes gets branded finesse? Look no further than tight end Tyler Luatua. The big-bodied thumper may not look like the rest of the tight end depth chart, but certainly will come in handy as the Irish do their best to transform into a run-to-win team in 2015.